MDPI Raises Charity for Small-Scale Fishers in a Gala Dinner “The Untold Story: Tuna Fishers in Maluku & Bali”
- December 8, 2025
by M. A. Indira Prameswari
Denpasar, Bali—December 1, 2025, MDPI hosted a charity dinner titled “Sustainable Fisheries For Food Security: The Untold Stories of Tuna Fishers in Maluku and Bali” at Hyatt Regency, Bali, on November 28, 2025. The event gathered 47 guests from the fisheries processing industry, retails and restaurants, media, banking, government, and individuals committed to fisheries sustainability. The result: nearly IDR 100 million (USD 6,000) raised in support of sustainable fishery management in Bali and Maluku.
Putting Spotlight on the Untold Stories of Small-Scale Fishers
The evening was not only a fundraising drive but also a call to protect Indonesia’s rich yet fragile fishery sector. It invites people to pay attention to the story of the sector’s frontrunners: small-scale fishers whose stories are rarely heard.
“One of the biggest foundations of our food supply is the fisheries sector. Thousands of small-scale fishers from Maluku and Bali are the backbone of the industry. We invited guests to support a fairer socio-economic climate for them, and a sustainable ocean for future generations,” explained MDPI Director Yasmine Simbolon in her address.
The dinner also featured local coastal folklores through short movies, photographs, and poetry. Snippets of their traditional fishing activities are now disrupted by climate change, extreme weather, and business conditions unfavorable to vulnerable coastal communities.
“When harvest season arrives, fish prices often drop. When fishers face misfortunes, like having their fishing gears damaged by a crossing tourism vessel, we can no longer go fishing. We should have a better transparency and institutional protection,” said Wayan Koat Tiarta, a fisher from Karangasem District in Bali.
Social Movement for Environmental Causes
The untold story served as a powerful prelude to the fundraising dinner, which coincided with the World Fisheries Week. Funds will support the indigenous Balinese fisher institution ‘Bendega’ and Good Fish Handling Practices (CPIB) in Central Maluku.
“Sustainable fisheries is about managing people, communities, and equitable access. If we want a healthy ocean, we should build a strong community. Only then can our food security be guaranteed,” Simbolon continued.”
Funds came from sponsors, donors, and curated photos-from-the-field adoptions. Stephen Moore of Shelter Group Indonesia, a sponsor, highlighted the universal contribution of the guests’ charity.
“The success of our restaurant business, our food, and our lives in general are thanks to abundant fisheries production. All of this due to the hard work of Indonesian fishers and their beautiful ocean,” Moore said during the event.
Event concluded with traditional Balinese dance performances orchestrating daily lives of indigenous small-scale fishers and marine environment. This initiative was one of MDPI’s ways to continue assisting coastal communities in building better livelihoods while protecting the ocean they depend on.